SQL Server® 2008 Administration: Real World Skills for MCITP Certification and Beyond

Chapter Essentials

Understanding Indexes The key to implementing an effective indexing strategy is understanding what indexes are and how they function. Clustered indexes dictate the way in which a table should be stored. Nonclustered indexes are stored separately from the table. Filtered indexes allow you to limit the rows included in the index with standard WHERE clauses.

Creating Basic Indexes Indexes can be created using the GUI interface or T-SQL code. The CREATE INDEX statement is used to create indexes in T-SQL. It's a good idea to save the T-SQL code used to create the index in case you ever have to re-create it again. You can generate the T-SQL code from the Script button even if you create the indexes within the GUI.

Creating Advanced ...